I don't see anything christian about the preemptive invading of a sovereign country on the pretext of suspecting them of having WMDs, and then 'shocking and awing" them to death numbering in the thousands, while sacrificing thousands of our own citizens.
If the nation had collectively risen up and denounced the criminals who planned this, and then impeached and jailed them for their criminality, then we could at least claim to have some Christian virtue. Instead, most of the nation supported this slaughter, and 60 million voters just voted for McCain/Palin to continue this atrocity done in our name.
What about the billions of taxpayer funds stolen by war profiteers, with no-bid contracts and other ruses to facilitate their thefts? Would a Christian nation sanction and allow such stealing with impunity from the national treasury?
If this is a christian nation, then we will have to re-define what 'Christian' means, from following the teachings of Christ, to following the evil in the hearts of the men who lead this nation.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
My Thanks to 2 Gods
Thanksgiving is the time of year to express our thanks to God for the blessings of faith, family, health and strength, and all the other blessings of life that we enjoy.
I'm particularly thankful to God for His miraculous intervention on Barack's behalf, where He brought him from being the most unlikely candidate for president, to 'the one' who beat all of the more likely candidates who were ahead of him. This is the God who was able to hear and answer the prayers of millions of Obama's ancestors and supporters, by responding in a miraculous way on his behalf.
I also want to be sure to thank the 'god' of the John McCain and Sarah Palin supporters, who either couldn't hear their prayers, ignored their prayers, or merely decided to punish them by allowing an outcome that they absolutely could not conceive of and did not want. In fact, the TBN gang could barely whisper their usual, "Praise The Lord!". If I was their 'god' I would have also been offended by what many of them prayed for. One of their prominent supporters, James Dobson, who is a leading Evangelical, had the temerity to pray and ask his supporters to pray, that Obama's acceptance speech at the Colorado convention, would be rained out. Others hoped their 'god' would let something unfortunate happen to Obama, to prevent him from winning the presidency. Still others hoped their 'god' would kill him because Sarah Palin said that he 'palled around with terrorists', and was not like what a good [white] American should be.
All these ungodly prayers were being uttered on behalf of two of the worst candidates for president and vice-president, in the history of this country. What an insult it was to a 'god', to have to listen to these kinds of offensive prayers on behalf of two unqualified, unworthy candidates. It's no wonder he or she, either tuned them out, or exacted the ultimate retribution by turning the tables on their requests.
The last thing I am thankful for, is that this election made it abundantly and absolutely clear, that there were and are, two different 'gods' being prayed to. One is the true and living God of many of the Obama supporters, who not only could hear their prayers, but answered in a most convincing and miraculous manner. The other is the false 'god' of the right-wing, and particularly many Evangelicals, who left them high and dry, searching for an explanation of why he failed to grant their most earnest prayers, entreaties and supplications.
Never again should anyone think that just because someone calls himself or herself a Christian, that they are following and praying to the same true and living God. Millions have been unknowingly or secretly following their own false christian god, that finally got exposed this past Nov. 4th.
All thanksgivings to the true and living God.
I'm particularly thankful to God for His miraculous intervention on Barack's behalf, where He brought him from being the most unlikely candidate for president, to 'the one' who beat all of the more likely candidates who were ahead of him. This is the God who was able to hear and answer the prayers of millions of Obama's ancestors and supporters, by responding in a miraculous way on his behalf.
I also want to be sure to thank the 'god' of the John McCain and Sarah Palin supporters, who either couldn't hear their prayers, ignored their prayers, or merely decided to punish them by allowing an outcome that they absolutely could not conceive of and did not want. In fact, the TBN gang could barely whisper their usual, "Praise The Lord!". If I was their 'god' I would have also been offended by what many of them prayed for. One of their prominent supporters, James Dobson, who is a leading Evangelical, had the temerity to pray and ask his supporters to pray, that Obama's acceptance speech at the Colorado convention, would be rained out. Others hoped their 'god' would let something unfortunate happen to Obama, to prevent him from winning the presidency. Still others hoped their 'god' would kill him because Sarah Palin said that he 'palled around with terrorists', and was not like what a good [white] American should be.
All these ungodly prayers were being uttered on behalf of two of the worst candidates for president and vice-president, in the history of this country. What an insult it was to a 'god', to have to listen to these kinds of offensive prayers on behalf of two unqualified, unworthy candidates. It's no wonder he or she, either tuned them out, or exacted the ultimate retribution by turning the tables on their requests.
The last thing I am thankful for, is that this election made it abundantly and absolutely clear, that there were and are, two different 'gods' being prayed to. One is the true and living God of many of the Obama supporters, who not only could hear their prayers, but answered in a most convincing and miraculous manner. The other is the false 'god' of the right-wing, and particularly many Evangelicals, who left them high and dry, searching for an explanation of why he failed to grant their most earnest prayers, entreaties and supplications.
Never again should anyone think that just because someone calls himself or herself a Christian, that they are following and praying to the same true and living God. Millions have been unknowingly or secretly following their own false christian god, that finally got exposed this past Nov. 4th.
All thanksgivings to the true and living God.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Where's the Cos.....?
Where's the Cos, when we need him????
The Cos of course is Bill Cosby, who made a small fortune writing a book and making numerous speeches and media appearances, lambasting poor blacks for their deficient English and speaking skills. His payoff besides the money, was the pat on the head from grateful whites and some blacks for his willingness to "tell it like it is" at the expense of blacks who can't defend themselves.
We'll, since the election, there has been no shortage of articles, opinion pieces and essays, about the butchering of the language by Caribou Barbie, better known as Sarah Palin. She has been charitably described as "an air-head with a scrambled brain between her head and her mouth". Her inability to put a coherent sentence together or answer simple questions, made the jobs of comedy writers easier than it had ever been. Her well-publicized ignorance of basic geography, politics, and the world in general, had most shaking their heads in disbelief.
Yet, none of this has stirred Cosby to rise up in indignation and disgust at her lack of the essentials that he was so quick to publicly criticize poor blacks for. Why is this?.. Is it because blacks are an easier, safer target, whereas targeting a stupid, ignorant white woman who happens to be a state governor and who could possibly retaliate, is a risk he's unwilling to accept?... In other words I suspect he is a cowardly opportunist, that genuflects and bows to white dysfunctions and mediocrities, but can't abide the same things among those who happen to look like him.
I am patiently waiting for Cos to apply the same standards that he has set forth for the black poor, to this cartoonish joke of an ex-V.P. candidate, named Sarah Palin, and her pregnant, unwed, high school drop-out daughter.
Of course I don't expect to hear a peep from him unless he can figure out a way to parlay it into a profitable book deal, while avoiding being lynched by many of the rabid and loyal Palin supporters, who also vociferously called for the lynching of Barack Obama.
The Cos of course is Bill Cosby, who made a small fortune writing a book and making numerous speeches and media appearances, lambasting poor blacks for their deficient English and speaking skills. His payoff besides the money, was the pat on the head from grateful whites and some blacks for his willingness to "tell it like it is" at the expense of blacks who can't defend themselves.
We'll, since the election, there has been no shortage of articles, opinion pieces and essays, about the butchering of the language by Caribou Barbie, better known as Sarah Palin. She has been charitably described as "an air-head with a scrambled brain between her head and her mouth". Her inability to put a coherent sentence together or answer simple questions, made the jobs of comedy writers easier than it had ever been. Her well-publicized ignorance of basic geography, politics, and the world in general, had most shaking their heads in disbelief.
Yet, none of this has stirred Cosby to rise up in indignation and disgust at her lack of the essentials that he was so quick to publicly criticize poor blacks for. Why is this?.. Is it because blacks are an easier, safer target, whereas targeting a stupid, ignorant white woman who happens to be
I am patiently waiting for Cos to apply the same standards that he has set forth for the black poor, to this cartoonish joke of an ex-V.P. candidate, named Sarah Palin, and her pregnant, unwed, high school drop-out daughter.
Of course I don't expect to hear a peep from him unless he can figure out a way to parlay it into a profitable book deal, while avoiding being lynched by many of the rabid and loyal Palin supporters, who also vociferously called for the lynching of Barack Obama.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
"...And Let Them Have Dominion.." Gen. 1:26
The dominion that God mandated is a far cry from the perversion that is practiced by the likes of Palin, Robertson, and Bush and their many evangelical supporters.
Their version calls for subjugation of inferiors, pre-emptive wars, manufacturing and lying about presumed threats to the US, murder and slaughter in the name of their god, illegally occupying another country, 'shock and awe', profiting from war, authorizing and condoning torture, waging war on all social programs that help the least able to help themselves, and opposition to hundreds of health, environmental and safety laws designed to benefit our society. Additionally, one writer said, -
"Dominionism has proved itself to be hooligan in nature. It is Machiavellian to the core. Dominionists take what is not theirs; they grab what belongs to others; they steal from the poor to give to the rich; they bribe; they punish with smears and condemnation. And they win elections at any cost—even at the cost of American democracy. In the end, that is the stated goal of Dominionists—they desire to establish an American Theocracy, where every one of them shall reign as “Theo.”
Where Jesus said to “turn the other cheek,” the Dominionists say, “dominate them; ruin them; run them out of power.” Their philosophy is anti-Christian and anti-Christ to the core. Dominionists have gained extensive control of the Republican Party and the apparatus of government throughout the United States; they continue to operate secretly. Their agenda to undermine all government social programs that assist the poor, the sick, and the elderly is ingeniously disguised under false labels that confuse voters.
Dominionism started with the Gospels and turned the concept of the invisible and spiritual “Kingdom of God” into a literal political empire that could be taken by force, starting with the United States of America. Discarding the original message of Jesus and forgetting that Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” the framers of Dominionism boldly presented a Gospel whose purpose was to inspire Christians to enter politics and execute world domination so that Jesus could return to an earth prepared for his earthly rule by his faithful “regents.”
"Dominionism’s purpose is to create theocrats (a Christian class of rulers). But in order to successfully place only certain Christians in positions of power, Dominionism divides Christian believers into classes based upon political ideology and certain hot point issues such as the privatization of Social Security and Medicare, freedom to decide on medical procedures with ones own physician, freedom of the press and freedom of speech, freedom of the arts, and certain rights like the right to a fair trial and protection from governmental intrusion into the privacy of marriage and adult associations.
The Dominionists have lost more American jobs in the last three years than since the days of Herbert Hoover. And now they want to eliminate the minimum wage laws too. America’s unions have helped to create a better life for millions of workers. The Dominionists want to break all unions apart (especially the teacher’s union). As Americans, we love our schools and are proud of our educational system. The Dominionists want to destroy all public education in America and force Americans to be educated in their religious schools. Americans love our culture and the arts. The Dominionists want to destroy that culture."
But God miraculously orchestrated Barack Obama's election, and it appears that He is throwing a monkey-wrench into the plans of these haters of freedom. Judging from the anguished cries and hand-wringing from their supporters, It appears that their attempt to sneak Palin/McCain across the finish line to continue Bush's dominionist reign, has been derailed, at least for now - All praises be to our God.
Their version calls for subjugation of inferiors, pre-emptive wars, manufacturing and lying about presumed threats to the US, murder and slaughter in the name of their god, illegally occupying another country, 'shock and awe', profiting from war, authorizing and condoning torture, waging war on all social programs that help the least able to help themselves, and opposition to hundreds of health, environmental and safety laws designed to benefit our society. Additionally, one writer said, -
"Dominionism has proved itself to be hooligan in nature. It is Machiavellian to the core. Dominionists take what is not theirs; they grab what belongs to others; they steal from the poor to give to the rich; they bribe; they punish with smears and condemnation. And they win elections at any cost—even at the cost of American democracy. In the end, that is the stated goal of Dominionists—they desire to establish an American Theocracy, where every one of them shall reign as “Theo.”
Where Jesus said to “turn the other cheek,” the Dominionists say, “dominate them; ruin them; run them out of power.” Their philosophy is anti-Christian and anti-Christ to the core. Dominionists have gained extensive control of the Republican Party and the apparatus of government throughout the United States; they continue to operate secretly. Their agenda to undermine all government social programs that assist the poor, the sick, and the elderly is ingeniously disguised under false labels that confuse voters.
Dominionism started with the Gospels and turned the concept of the invisible and spiritual “Kingdom of God” into a literal political empire that could be taken by force, starting with the United States of America. Discarding the original message of Jesus and forgetting that Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” the framers of Dominionism boldly presented a Gospel whose purpose was to inspire Christians to enter politics and execute world domination so that Jesus could return to an earth prepared for his earthly rule by his faithful “regents.”
"Dominionism’s purpose is to create theocrats (a Christian class of rulers). But in order to successfully place only certain Christians in positions of power, Dominionism divides Christian believers into classes based upon political ideology and certain hot point issues such as the privatization of Social Security and Medicare, freedom to decide on medical procedures with ones own physician, freedom of the press and freedom of speech, freedom of the arts, and certain rights like the right to a fair trial and protection from governmental intrusion into the privacy of marriage and adult associations.
The Dominionists have lost more American jobs in the last three years than since the days of Herbert Hoover. And now they want to eliminate the minimum wage laws too. America’s unions have helped to create a better life for millions of workers. The Dominionists want to break all unions apart (especially the teacher’s union). As Americans, we love our schools and are proud of our educational system. The Dominionists want to destroy all public education in America and force Americans to be educated in their religious schools. Americans love our culture and the arts. The Dominionists want to destroy that culture."
But God miraculously orchestrated Barack Obama's election, and it appears that He is throwing a monkey-wrench into the plans of these haters of freedom. Judging from the anguished cries and hand-wringing from their supporters, It appears that their attempt to sneak Palin/McCain across the finish line to continue Bush's dominionist reign, has been derailed, at least for now - All praises be to our God.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
2008 - Post Election Notes
It's always interesting to look back and see how Obama won the race...
- Approx. 208 million Americans were eligible, and 133 million voted - 33% more than the 100 million who voted in 2004. This might be the largest turnout in history - largely because of Obama's presence as the Democratic standard bearer.
- Of the 27 million Blacks who were eligible to vote, 17 million or 63% voted
- Obama got 95% of the Black vote; 62% of the Asian vote; 67% of the Latino vote; and 43% of the White vote
Although McCain had negatives going in, such as his age and uncertain health, one of his biggest mistakes was picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, which was widely regarded as a desperate 'hail mary pass' in football parlance. The other was their tremendous amount of racist and unpatriotic negative ads and campaign speeches targeting Obama - none of these were effective enough to beat Obama, although they fired-up his rabid, racist base.
Palin will always be remembered as the winking, smirking, dimwit, who did not know which were the 3 countries in NAFTA (America, Canada and Mexico); did not know that Africa was a continent made up of 40+ independent countries; did not know that So. Africa was one of these countries located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, rather than just merely located in the southern portion of the country of Africa; was said by McCain "to be the most knowledgeable person in the country on energy matters"; and said of herself, "that she had security and defense experience because she could see Russia from Alaska".
The supreme comeuppance experienced by McCain, was that he voted against establishing a national holiday in memory of the slain African-American, Martin Luther King, and yesterday he lost the race for president to a man who just happens to be African-American, Barack Obama.
McCain and his base probably will remain crazily trapped in their delusion that Obama is a Muslim, while simultaneously accusing him of having attended a Christian Church pastored by Rev. Wright for over 20 years, and Palin will go back to Alaska, cross the political 'bridge to nowhere', and keep an eye on Russia to protect us and keep us safe - good riddance to both of them.
- Approx. 208 million Americans were eligible, and 133 million voted - 33% more than the 100 million who voted in 2004. This might be the largest turnout in history - largely because of Obama's presence as the Democratic standard bearer.
- Of the 27 million Blacks who were eligible to vote, 17 million or 63% voted
- Obama got 95% of the Black vote; 62% of the Asian vote; 67% of the Latino vote; and 43% of the White vote
Although McCain had negatives going in, such as his age and uncertain health, one of his biggest mistakes was picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, which was widely regarded as a desperate 'hail mary pass' in football parlance. The other was their tremendous amount of racist and unpatriotic negative ads and campaign speeches targeting Obama - none of these were effective enough to beat Obama, although they fired-up his rabid, racist base.
Palin will always be remembered as the winking, smirking, dimwit, who did not know which were the 3 countries in NAFTA (America, Canada and Mexico); did not know that Africa was a continent made up of 40+ independent countries; did not know that So. Africa was one of these countries located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, rather than just merely located in the southern portion of the country of Africa; was said by McCain "to be the most knowledgeable person in the country on energy matters"; and said of herself, "that she had security and defense experience because she could see Russia from Alaska".
The supreme comeuppance experienced by McCain, was that he voted against establishing a national holiday in memory of the slain African-American, Martin Luther King, and yesterday he lost the race for president to a man who just happens to be African-American, Barack Obama.
McCain and his base probably will remain crazily trapped in their delusion that Obama is a Muslim, while simultaneously accusing him of having attended a Christian Church pastored by Rev. Wright for over 20 years, and Palin will go back to Alaska, cross the political 'bridge to nowhere', and keep an eye on Russia to protect us and keep us safe - good riddance to both of them.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
A Win By God For Man
"....and he doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth and in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will...." Dan. 4:25,35
Not only did God move the chess pieces of history, but He did it in a most amazing way - He took the seed of a pure black African man, and united it with the egg of a white woman mixed with European and Native American ancestry. From this union was born Barack Obama, an African-American, who was able to put together the best presidential campaign in the history of the world, and to withstand the most vicious and racist opposition in the primaries as well as the campaign, to become the next president of the United States.
Along the way were millions of Americans who were brought here as slaves or came here as immigrants, who worked, sacrificed, bled and died, while looking forward to this day ordained by God.
I, along with millions of others, never thought we would ever see a black president in our lifetimes, but this just proves that God's plans are way beyond anything man can think or imagine.
We have now been given another chance to make right what has been wrong, and to make amends to those we have wronged - we better take this chance and make the most of it.
And in the end, Palin and McCain did not fool me or many others one bit, they confirmed that they were the nastiest, fear-mongering, guilt-by-association, racist pigs that we thought they were - with lipstick, and we rejected them with a landslide vote for Obama.
As the 'Australian' news elegantly said, - "It is a sublime moment - Barack Obama to succeed George W. Bush, an affirmation of America, its foundation mission, its abiding dreams."
"The American people have turned the page. This is more than a vote for change. It is a act of renewal, a turning point in American history and a quest for a better nation.
The American people chose Obama yet most of the world also wanted Obama - that invests his Presidency with a potential authority unknown in history and an opportunity to touch not just Americans but people around the world."
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Did the 'Surge' Work?
Another debate has come and gone between Obama and McCain, with Obama clearly the most presidential, and exuding the temperament, knowledge, and maturity, that is necessary for the highest office in the land. This is in contrast to the tired old discredited lies that McCain and his VP, Palin, continue to spout.
One inane point that McCain and his surrogate Palin keeps trying to make and shame Obama into saying, is that the 'surge' initiated by Bush in Iraq, worked. They keep trying to make that point to infer that the Iraq debacle is such a resounding success.
Everyone with half a brain knows that at $10 billion per month, with no end in sight, the occupation in Iraq has been a resounding failure, and trying to rejoice over a 'surge', is like trying to put lipstick on a pig.
The idea of a successful 'surge' is extraordinarily laughable when you consider that to this day, any American official down to the ordinary congressperson who is visiting Iraq, must sneak in under cover of darkness without any prior announcement, to ensure their safe landing there. The MSM dutifully spins this reality by calling it a "surprise visit" - in fact every visit has been and must continue to be a 'surprise'.
In the future, a so-called 'surge' could only be said to be successful, when an American official can announce that they are going to Iraq on a specific day and time, and expect to be able to arrive there safely without fear of being shot down - that will be the evidence that the 'surge', has in fact, worked.
Until then, Obama should rightfully refuse to give any credit nor credence to the notion of a successful 'surge', because it is a lie that is proven by everyone travelling to Iraq - they still have to sneak in and make it a 'surprise' visit.
One inane point that McCain and his surrogate Palin keeps trying to make and shame Obama into saying, is that the 'surge' initiated by Bush in Iraq, worked. They keep trying to make that point to infer that the Iraq debacle is such a resounding success.
Everyone with half a brain knows that at $10 billion per month, with no end in sight, the occupation in Iraq has been a resounding failure, and trying to rejoice over a 'surge', is like trying to put lipstick on a pig.
The idea of a successful 'surge' is extraordinarily laughable when you consider that to this day, any American official down to the ordinary congressperson who is visiting Iraq, must sneak in under cover of darkness without any prior announcement, to ensure their safe landing there. The MSM dutifully spins this reality by calling it a "surprise visit" - in fact every visit has been and must continue to be a 'surprise'.
In the future, a so-called 'surge' could only be said to be successful, when an American official can announce that they are going to Iraq on a specific day and time, and expect to be able to arrive there safely without fear of being shot down - that will be the evidence that the 'surge', has in fact, worked.
Until then, Obama should rightfully refuse to give any credit nor credence to the notion of a successful 'surge', because it is a lie that is proven by everyone travelling to Iraq - they still have to sneak in and make it a 'surprise' visit.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
The Simpson Verdict
Tonight, as I watched the reading of the Simpson verdict - guilty on all counts, and watched the silly, simple, stupid look on his face, I thought that any sane black person who was fortunate enough to be acquitted of killing a white woman and white man in America, would never, ever, allow himself to be caught up in another criminal proceeding again.
Clearly OJ is not sane, and maybe should be pitied for his insanity, but I don't even feel any sympathy for him, sane or insane - he's just too stupid for words. In my view, being stupid is far worst than being insane. I have no sympathy for stupid black men, particularly those made stupid by voluntarily consorting with skanky, slutty white women as he loved to do.
Now in prison, he'll have plenty of time to reflect on the blood shed by thousands of black men, who were butchered and lynched for merely being accused of looking or whistling at a white woman. To think that he would ignore this sad history of savagery against black men, and forge ahead anyway, cavorting with these hos' as if no one had died and paid the ultimate sacrifice before him, and thinking he was celebrity enough to get away with it, let him rot in jail whether he is actually guilty of these latest crimes or not.
Clearly, he is at least guilty of allowing himself to be infected with the disease of wanting a white woman, and given the history of this country, that in my view, is reason enough to be involuntarily quarantined and thrown under the jailhouse forever.
Also, it's no accident that thirteen years later to the day, he was convicted after his prior acquittal in 'the murder trial of the century'. "What the man giveth, can always be taken away" has never been truer. You got played OJ...
...good riddance!....
...good riddance!....
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Debate Whom?
Considering that McCain obviously, cowardly and clumsily tried to duck this debate with Obama, he came off way better than he should have. Obama should have hammered him for his juvenile ploy to avoid debating him, and then promptly and decisively challenged his many lies.
Also Obama was too deferential and said "I agree with John" eight times too often.. McCain was clearly angry that he had to debate who he considered an inferior, was very contemptuous and condescending, saying at least 6 times, "he just does not understand"...."he is naive...", "he is stubborn". McCain did not even look at Obama, once. Obama should have hammered him on his wanting 45 nuclear plants, pointing out the absurdity of it...
Also Obama was too deferential and said "I agree with John" eight times too often.. McCain was clearly angry that he had to debate who he considered an inferior, was very contemptuous and condescending, saying at least 6 times, "he just does not understand"...."he is naive...", "he is stubborn". McCain did not even look at Obama, once. Obama should have hammered him on his wanting 45 nuclear plants, pointing out the absurdity of it...
Obama looked more presidential, but McCain should have been knocked out, given his criminal role in the Keating 5 scandal, 95% support of Bush's policies, consistently voting against veterans benefits - yet he lives to fight another day because Obama spared him....
The problem was that Obama let McCain get away with too many lies: -
- that he warned of the present financial crisis -
he did not, just 10 days ago he said that "the economy was fundamentally sound",
he did not, just 10 days ago he said that "the economy was fundamentally sound",
- Russia invaded Georgia - Georgia invaded Ossetia first, then Russia responded by retaliating,
- he voted consistently for veterans issues and loves the veterans - voted against most veterans benefits,
- he was going to put a freeze on spending - he voted for every spending program of Bush,
- Iran threatened to wipe Israel off the map - they did not,
- he called for the resignation of the SEC head - he did not, he said he would fire him, not knowing that he could not fire him,
- that the surge worked - the surge benchmarks were political reconciliation, oil leases, - none of these have been realized yet, other than lesser violence due to ethnic cleansing - so the surge has not worked....,
- that he was against torture - he voted for torture after being initially against it,
- said that Pakistan was formerly a failed state before Musharraf - it was not,
- would create a 'league of democracies' - Obama should have said that was stupid and would undermine the UN which is already in place..
Fortunately the prelim polls show Obama won handily and decisively, particularly among undecided voters...
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Hillary's Coronation???
I'm watching the coronation of someone who supposedly lost to Obama, but is acting in fact, like she won instead of him. The 10 min. video would have been more than enough homage with it's greatest hits theme, but there also had to be a 5 min. standing ovation with a sea of Hillary presidential signs displayed, even before getting to her speech.
I'm wondering if Obama and his people knew all the details of this planned upstaging, but yet still signed off on this circus. Did he want the presidency so badly that he was willing to pay this humiliating price to gain her verbal but actually, marginal support??
I'm not convinced in the least that she fully supports his nomination, in fact it sounds more like she was presumptuously dictating what programs he should enact if he should gain the office of the presidency.
She gave perfunctory short shrift to the McCain/Bush disastrous candidacy. IMHO, the bulk of her speech should have been spent skewering him and pointing out his madness and failed politics, rather than acting like the presumed candidate whose nomination was stolen by Barack.
I thought it was a thoroughly narcissistic, self-congratulatory screed, without any apology for the demeaning things she said about Obama during the primary. She sent the message that the wrong candidate won, and she should have been nominated instead. And no apology was made for making statements that McCain can and will surely use in ads to bolster his case against Obama. Tomorrow her other half will probably continue her coronation while also indulging in self-congratulations for his presidency in the 90s.
I predict that Billary will net far more from this evening than Obama will, and it's his fault for allowing it.
If Obama loses in November, this upstaging won't be the only reason, but will be a major reason why he lost.
Friday, July 04, 2008
A $400 Million Shill
On this day of independence, it is interesting to note how dependant many pundits are, on the largess of the Repugs for following the party line. They all have noted with envy, the contract Rush Limbaugh just signed with Clear Channel, to continue shilling eight more years for the Repugs, and deny all the obvious signs that this republic is sinking like the Titanic, thanks to BushCo and their mis-rule. His contract averages out to $45,000 each hour he broadcasts.
At least Limbaugh is just a talk-show entertainer, and not a newsman, but there are a host of 'newsmen' who openly side with the Repugs and their worldview, while supposedly broadcasting unbiased news. To name just a few; Scott Simon - NPR; Mark Shields - PBS; Liz Sedoti - AP; David Broder - Wash. Post; Jack Tapper - ABCnews; Sam Donaldson - ABC; Chris Matthews - MSNBC Hardball; Sean Hannity - Fox; Brit Hume - Fox, etc., all report biasedly, and at times openly, to favor the Repugs and to ensure their staying in the good graces of the Repugs, who pay handsomely, as demonstrated by Limbaugh's contract.
So much for the principles of independence, fairness, balance, accuracy in reporting, all of which this country supposedly separated itself from the British Crown for.
This is the 'independence' that Obama is up against, as he gamely strives to get balanced reporting on his campaign and platform issues. It's already clear that this is not going to happen - not if our news persons have anything to do with it.
From this 4th of July onward, it's going to get much worse.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The Pastor's Disasters
Well, the shoe is now on the other foot, and the MSM as been somewhat reluctantly forced to expose and examine the rhetoric of John McCain's spiritual advisers, whose endorsements he solicited and pursued for over one year.
Unlike Jeremiah Wright who merely told some inconvenient truths, there has been nothing but delusional, hateful, false theology spewing forth from Rod Parsley and John Hagee, the spiritual icons of McCain and the right-wing Repugnants.
Hagee said among other things, that hurricane Katrina was judgment sent by God to prevent a gay pride parade from happening in New Orleans; then he called the Catholic church the "Great Whore" and apostate false cult system of the anti-Christ; then he said that "Hitler was a 'hunter' sent by God to hunt the Jews from every mountain and rock, and send them back to the land of Palestine......"
Rod Parsley said, among other insanities, that "the US was founded in part, to battle and to destroy the evil religion of Islam...."
Their screed is far more incendiary and worst than anything Rev. Wright ever said, and yet they will not get the endless 24/7 looping on every broadcast medium, and the universal, apoplectic denunciations, that Wright's comments received.
Added to all this, is the spectacle of Hillary Clinton's lust for power melt-down, as she mused ominously, that her staying in the race for the democratic nomination, is due to the possibility of Barack getting assassinated, as was Bobby Kennedy in the month of June.
These are all the lumpenproletariat that the MSM would rather not cover, preferring instead to savage Obama and his choice of spiritual advisor, who spoke the truth, and was also a Marine who served his country honorably.
Unlike Jeremiah Wright who merely told some inconvenient truths, there has been nothing but delusional, hateful, false theology spewing forth from Rod Parsley and John Hagee, the spiritual icons of McCain and the right-wing Repugnants.
Hagee said among other things, that hurricane Katrina was judgment sent by God to prevent a gay pride parade from happening in New Orleans; then he called the Catholic church the "Great Whore" and apostate false cult system of the anti-Christ; then he said that "Hitler was a 'hunter' sent by God to hunt the Jews from every mountain and rock, and send them back to the land of Palestine......"
Rod Parsley said, among other insanities, that "the US was founded in part, to battle and to destroy the evil religion of Islam...."
Their screed is far more incendiary and worst than anything Rev. Wright ever said, and yet they will not get the endless 24/7 looping on every broadcast medium, and the universal, apoplectic denunciations, that Wright's comments received.
Added to all this, is the spectacle of Hillary Clinton's lust for power melt-down, as she mused ominously, that her staying in the race for the democratic nomination, is due to the possibility of Barack getting assassinated, as was Bobby Kennedy in the month of June.
These are all the lumpenproletariat that the MSM would rather not cover, preferring instead to savage Obama and his choice of spiritual advisor, who spoke the truth, and was also a Marine who served his country honorably.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Who Lied?
I like and admire both Rev. Jeremiah Wright's truthfulness, and Barack Obama's audacity of hope to be the president of the US.
Neither of them is perfect and certainly none of us are either.
I'm saddened that Obama felt he had to distance himself from Wright and his statements, but I understand why he had to do so - he's running for president, and America is not ready to acknowledge inconvenient truths about herself.
I also know that Wright has been saying these inconvenient truths from the pulpit, for the full 20 years that Obama and his family has been members of his Chicago church. So it defies belief, that Obama is only hearing these things for the first time in recent weeks - in other words he lied!
As Rev. Wright said, he's a politician, and has to say the things that will get him elected - so lying about what he heard and when he heard it, proves the point that Rev. Wright made.
I'm saddened that there are somethings in life that some of us may be willing to lie about, in order to gain our broader objectives - so I understand why Obama lied, but very glad that Rev. Wright has chosen to tell the truth all of these years.
Who Hurt Obama???
It's troubling to me that many progressives who normally see through political chicanery, are buying into the hype that Rev. Wright has hurt Obama's campaign for president.
What is being forgotten, is that the MSM was using those edited clips of Wright's sermons, and looping them 24/7 for the last month. It was a savage, libelous, racist attack, and was meant to discredit and hurt Obama by linking him to this 'raving maniac' who had been his pastor for the past 20 yrs. This was only just one of many tools that were marshaled against Obama, in addition to saying he is a Muslim, conflating his name with Osama and with Saadam Hussein etc. - all of this to prevent Obama from getting the dems nod.
Bill Moyer, who is a member of the Riverside church in NY and also of the Church of Christ federation of churches, tried to give him an opportunity to defend himself in the PBS interview, and to dispel the slanderous, racist imagery of him - and most will agree that it was a successful interview and Obama was not hurt by it.
Next, Wright spoke at the Detroit NAACP gala which had been booked over 1 year ago, and again, there was nothing in it that can be said to be hurtful to Obama without deliberately twisting and distorting his words.
Finally, he spoke at the Nat'l Press Club, apparently invited and facilitated by a fellow minister who was also a Hillary Clinton supporter. We all watched it, and whether we agreed with all the things he said, they were truthful and forthright. Yet Obama was pressured to denounce him once again.
Anyone who used his speeches as a justification to withdraw their support from Obama, was looking for an excuse, and had no intention of supporting Obama in the first place. No true supporter who truly wants Obama to be their president, could or would withdraw their support because of what Rev. Wright has said.
Obama has been put in an impossible position of having to denounce Wright, not because of the truth of what Wright said, but because of MSM trickery, cheered on by McShame and Billary. As Wright noted, " he has to distance himself because he is a politician and want's to be president".
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Hillary's Big 'Bell Curve' Win
With the results in from Pennsylvania, it's proof that those who the 'Bell Curve' touts as having the superior intellect and higher IQs, have spoken again. First they voted overwhelmingly for Bush....TWICE!...and are now paying $4/gal for gasoline.
And they have voted overwhelmingly for Hillary who voted for this war, which is costing them over $3 billion per week, and whose husband implemented NAFTA and CAFTA which has resulted in the outsourcing of most of their good paying jobs and a ruined economy.
At least blacks had the intelligence to give Bush less than 7% of their votes in the two prior elections, gave Hillary less than 11% of their votes in the primaries so far, and have given Obama over 85% of their votes because he is the superior candidate.
How do you like us now, 'Bell Curvers'????
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
How Smart is Smart...?
...depends on what is, is.
So goes the latest in a long litany of political scandals, this one is once again bringing negative publicity to presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton.
The first time it was her husband Bill, who was outed for having a sexual affair in the Oval Office with a twenty-something admirer, named Monica. When impeached, he parsed the admission of his affair, with the infamous, "depends on what is, is..."
This time it's super-delegate, and her major political endorser, Elliot Spitzer, Governor of New York and rising star of the Dems party. His scandal is much more serious, because he transported a prostitute across state lines to meet him in Washington, D.C. This is a federal crime and violation of the Mann Act, which was used to dethrone and jail the black boxer, Jack Johnson, at the turn of the last century.
Both Bill and Elliott are considered the smartest of the smart, and yet they have both done some extremely stupid things, damaging themselves, their families, and possibly Hillary Clinton's presidential aspirations. The ghosts of Bill's affairs in the 90s still follow Hillary as she campaigns, and the stench of Elliott's $4,300 pay-for-play sex scandal, will also hover over her, even as she tries to distance herself from it.
What is it about Hillary, that the men in her life seem to have little or no regard for the impact their inappropriate behaviors may have on her, particularly now that she is running for president. If she can't persuade them to do the right thing, how can she be expected to persuade the country, the legislature, foreign leaders, etc., etc., to do the right thing.
New York State Lieutenant Governor, David Patterson, stands to become the first black governor of New York State, if Spitzer, the former anti-crime crusading attorney-general who used similar wiretaps to snare his targets, resigns in disgrace for his criminal conduct, as expected.
So how smart, is smart?....depends on what is, is.
The fall of this latest rising star, could be a harbinger of things to come for the Dems, if they steal the nomination from Barack and give it to Billary.
So goes the latest in a long litany of political scandals, this one is once again bringing negative publicity to presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton.
The first time it was her husband Bill, who was outed for having a sexual affair in the Oval Office with a twenty-something admirer, named Monica. When impeached, he parsed the admission of his affair, with the infamous, "depends on what is, is..."
This time it's super-delegate, and her major political endorser, Elliot Spitzer, Governor of New York and rising star of the Dems party. His scandal is much more serious, because he transported a prostitute across state lines to meet him in Washington, D.C. This is a federal crime and violation of the Mann Act, which was used to dethrone and jail the black boxer, Jack Johnson, at the turn of the last century.
Both Bill and Elliott are considered the smartest of the smart, and yet they have both done some extremely stupid things, damaging themselves, their families, and possibly Hillary Clinton's presidential aspirations. The ghosts of Bill's affairs in the 90s still follow Hillary as she campaigns, and the stench of Elliott's $4,300 pay-for-play sex scandal, will also hover over her, even as she tries to distance herself from it.
What is it about Hillary, that the men in her life seem to have little or no regard for the impact their inappropriate behaviors may have on her, particularly now that she is running for president. If she can't persuade them to do the right thing, how can she be expected to persuade the country, the legislature, foreign leaders, etc., etc., to do the right thing.
New York State Lieutenant Governor, David Patterson, stands to become the first black governor of New York State, if Spitzer, the former anti-crime crusading attorney-general who used similar wiretaps to snare his targets, resigns in disgrace for his criminal conduct, as expected.
So how smart, is smart?....depends on what is, is.
The fall of this latest rising star, could be a harbinger of things to come for the Dems, if they steal the nomination from Barack and give it to Billary.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Innocent? - So What!
Tonight on '60 Minutes' there was the incredible but believable story, about a black Chicagoan who was falsely arrested, convicted, and imprisoned for the past 26 years, for a crime that he did not commit.
The incredible part is, that there were two lawyers representing a defendant in another case, who knew he was innocent because their own client confessed privately to them to the crime for which this other man was falsely accused of.
Instead of promptly notifying the authorities who were about to try the innocent defendant, they kept the secret on the specious premise that what their client told them was confidential and privileged. So they let him be tried, convicted and jailed without saying a word in his defense.
What jumps out at me, is that the innocent defendant, had the misfortune to be born black in a racist society with a racist criminal justice system, as was the guilty defendant. In this system, they don't care much about which black defendant is guilty or innocent, so long as they have black defendants who they can convict and imprison. So they kept the secret of his innocence, and in so doing, obtained the convictions of two black men, one very guilty and one very innocent.
There is no doubt in my mind that had the innocent defendant been white, they would have under no circumstance, let him be tried, and certainly not convicted nor jailed. No excuse of privileged information or anything else would have prevented them from doing the right thing, and freeing an innocent white man.
But this system was never designed for justice for black men. Any justice accorded is due to the herculean efforts of dedicated lawyers like those of the Innocence Project, who have worked mightily to free the many mostly black prisoners, who are innocent and have been unjustly convicted and imprisoned. In most cases they have had to waste away for years until the science of DNA matching, caught up with the system.
In this case, DNA was not a factor, but it might just as well have been, since they waited 26 years until the guilty defendant finally died, while jailed for another crime. So now they are belatedly stepping forward to clear the innocent black man they cavalierly let rot in jail all these years. Thanks a lot!
I believe that there is a hell, and these two lawyers along with the guilty party, will have a special place there in the next life. The sad thing is that this is just one of hundreds, maybe thousands of examples of innocent convictions, jailings and probably even executions, that have been perpetrated against the powerless and less fortunate by the justice system.
When will 'justice for all in the land of the free and the home of the brave', finally be a reality for everyone, rather than just for some?
The incredible part is, that there were two lawyers representing a defendant in another case, who knew he was innocent because their own client confessed privately to them to the crime for which this other man was falsely accused of.
Instead of promptly notifying the authorities who were about to try the innocent defendant, they kept the secret on the specious premise that what their client told them was confidential and privileged. So they let him be tried, convicted and jailed without saying a word in his defense.
What jumps out at me, is that the innocent defendant, had the misfortune to be born black in a racist society with a racist criminal justice system, as was the guilty defendant. In this system, they don't care much about which black defendant is guilty or innocent, so long as they have black defendants who they can convict and imprison. So they kept the secret of his innocence, and in so doing, obtained the convictions of two black men, one very guilty and one very innocent.
There is no doubt in my mind that had the innocent defendant been white, they would have under no circumstance, let him be tried, and certainly not convicted nor jailed. No excuse of privileged information or anything else would have prevented them from doing the right thing, and freeing an innocent white man.
But this system was never designed for justice for black men. Any justice accorded is due to the herculean efforts of dedicated lawyers like those of the Innocence Project, who have worked mightily to free the many mostly black prisoners, who are innocent and have been unjustly convicted and imprisoned. In most cases they have had to waste away for years until the science of DNA matching, caught up with the system.
In this case, DNA was not a factor, but it might just as well have been, since they waited 26 years until the guilty defendant finally died, while jailed for another crime. So now they are belatedly stepping forward to clear the innocent black man they cavalierly let rot in jail all these years. Thanks a lot!
I believe that there is a hell, and these two lawyers along with the guilty party, will have a special place there in the next life. The sad thing is that this is just one of hundreds, maybe thousands of examples of innocent convictions, jailings and probably even executions, that have been perpetrated against the powerless and less fortunate by the justice system.
When will 'justice for all in the land of the free and the home of the brave', finally be a reality for everyone, rather than just for some?
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Trickle Down Effect??
The news over the past several weeks has been bleak and bleaker on all fronts. From a spike in the homicide rates in several key cities; to mass shootings on school campuses; record foreclosures of homes; oil prices hitting $105/bbl; the dollar hitting historic lows vs. other major currencies; gasoline prices going sky-high; hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children murdered by precision weapons of war wielded by the Israelis in occupied Palestine; a revenge-seeking suicidal Arab entering a Jewish seminary and murdering 8 students with an automatic weapon; random gang shootings of rivals and innocent civilians on the streets of our cities; the layoffs of 85,000 American workers in January and February alone, along with unabated outsourcing of key jobs; large arson fires set by radical environmentalists; Ralph Nader running again for president as a spoiler rather than as a real candidate; and on and on and on.....!
It seems to me that there is a general air of despair and uncertainty in the air, brought on by the horrific news reports from so many different sources and in so many different areas. These all have had an overall unsettling effect on the moods and the emotions of our citizenry, contributing to these eruptions of mindless violence and other signs of extreme negative stresses.
It would not surprise me that this is the trickle-down effect of the illegal war and occupation, we have now been waging for 5 years on the people of Iraq. With all the massive deaths and costly destructions we have waged over there, the universe cries out for justice, and requires that we reap here, some of the things we have sown over there.
This reaping is manifesting itself in these awful, horrible news events at home and abroad, as we go from one terrible crisis to the next one. The economy is teetering and barely functioning, unemployment is at record levels, the rich are getting insanely richer with unseemly corporate profits, while the majority of us continue to get poorer. Our human rights are being eroded, we are and have been spied on illegally, those doing the spying are being given immunity from prosecution, while those ordering the spying are successfully evading censure and impeachment, and.........
I don't think Reagan envisioned this kind of 'trickle-down' mess, but he started the ball rolling with his phony economic theories and his ripping-off of the working classes. This is the logical effect of his voodoo economics and the ongoing illegal wars of empire and rapacious covetousness that have followed - these all have brought us to this insane point.
It seems to me that there is a general air of despair and uncertainty in the air, brought on by the horrific news reports from so many different sources and in so many different areas. These all have had an overall unsettling effect on the moods and the emotions of our citizenry, contributing to these eruptions of mindless violence and other signs of extreme negative stresses.
It would not surprise me that this is the trickle-down effect of the illegal war and occupation, we have now been waging for 5 years on the people of Iraq. With all the massive deaths and costly destructions we have waged over there, the universe cries out for justice, and requires that we reap here, some of the things we have sown over there.
This reaping is manifesting itself in these awful, horrible news events at home and abroad, as we go from one terrible crisis to the next one. The economy is teetering and barely functioning, unemployment is at record levels, the rich are getting insanely richer with unseemly corporate profits, while the majority of us continue to get poorer. Our human rights are being eroded, we are and have been spied on illegally, those doing the spying are being given immunity from prosecution, while those ordering the spying are successfully evading censure and impeachment, and.........
I don't think Reagan envisioned this kind of 'trickle-down' mess, but he started the ball rolling with his phony economic theories and his ripping-off of the working classes. This is the logical effect of his voodoo economics and the ongoing illegal wars of empire and rapacious covetousness that have followed - these all have brought us to this insane point.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Spin of the 'No Spin Zone'
I'm posting this excellent commentary by attorney Star Jones Reynolds, because it strips away the excuses and phony apologies of the likes of Bill O'Reilly and his fellow racists, and reveals them to be the cowards and pathetic creatures that they really are.
"I'm sick to death of people like Fox News host, Bill O'Reilly, and his ilk thinking that he can use a racial slur against a black woman who could be the next First Lady of the United States, give a half-assed apology and not be taken to task and called on his crap.
This week O'Reilly gave the following response to a caller on his radio show who was making unsubstantiated negative charges against presidential candidate Barack Obama's wife, Michelle Obama:
'And I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down.'
What the hell? If it's 'legit,' you're going to 'track it down?' And then what do you plan to do?
How dare this white man with a microphone and the trust of the public think that in 2008, he can still put the words 'lynch and party' together in the same sentence with reference to a black woman; in this case, Michelle Obama? I don't care how you 'spin it' in the 'no spin zone,' that statement in and of itself is racist, unacceptable and inappropriate on every level.
O'Reilly claims his comments were taken out of context. Please don't insult my intelligence while you're insulting me. I've read the comments and heard them delivered in O'Reilly's own voice; and there is no right context that exists. So, his insincere apology and "out-of-context" excuse is not going to cut it with me.
And just so we're clear, this has nothing to do with the 2008 presidential election, me being a Democrat, him claiming to be Independent while talking Republican, the liberal media or a conservative point of view. To the contrary, this is about crossing a line in the sand that needs to be drawn based on history, dignity, taste and truth.
Bill, I'm not sure of where you come from, but let me tell you what the phrase 'lynching party' conjures up to me, a black woman born in North Carolina . Those words depict the image of a group of white men who are angry with the state of the own lives getting together, drinking more than they need to drink, lamenting how some black person has moved forward (usually ahead of them in stature or dignity), and had the audacity to think that they are equal. These same men for years, instead of looking at what changes, should and could make in their own lives that might remove that bitterness born of perceived privilege, these white men take all of that resentment and anger and decide to get together and drag the closest black person near them to their death by hanging them from a tree -- usually after violent beating, torturing and violating their human dignity. Check your history books, because you don't need a masters or a law degree from Harvard to know that is what constitutes a 'lynching party.'
Imagine, Michelle and Barack Obama having the audacity to think that they have the right to the American dream, hopes, and ideals. O'Reilly must think to himself: how dare they have the arrogance to think they can stand in a front of this nation, challenge the status quo and express the frustration of millions? When this happens, the first thing that comes to mind for O'Reilly and people like him is: 'it's time for a party.'
Not so fast...don't order the rope just yet.
Would O'Reilly ever in a million years use this phrase with reference to Elizabeth Edwards, Cindy McCain or Judi Nathan? I mean, in all of the statements and criticisms that were made about Judi Nathan, the one-time mistress turned missus, of former presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, I never heard any talk of forming a lynch party because of something she said or did.
So why is it that when you're referring to someone who's African-American you must dig to a historical place of pain, agony and death to symbolize your feelings? Lynching is not a joke to off-handedly throw around and it is not a metaphor that has a place in political commentary; provocative or otherwise. I admit that I come from a place of personal outrage here having buried my 90 year-old grandfather last year. This proud, amazing African-American man raised his family and lived through the time when he had to use separate water fountains, ride in the back of a bus, take his wife on a date to the 'colored section' of a movie theater, and avert his eyes when a white woman walked down the street for fear of what a white man and his cronies might do if they felt the urge to 'party'; don't tell me that the phrase you chose, Mr. O'Reilly, was taken out of context.
To add insult to injury, O'Reilly tried to 'clarify' his statements, by using the excuse that his comments were reminiscent of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' use of the term 'high-tech lynching' during his confirmation hearing. I reject that analogy. You see Justice Thomas did mean to bring up the image of lynching in its racist context. He was saying that politics and the media were using a new technology to do to him what had been done to black men for many years -- hang him. Regardless of if you agreed with Justice Thomas' premise or not, if in fact -- Bill O'Reilly was referencing it -- the context becomes even clearer.
What annoys me more than anything is that I get the feeling that one of the reasons Bill O'Reilly made this statement, thinking he could get away with it in the first place, and then followed it up with a lame apology in a half-hearted attempt to smooth any ruffled feathers, is because he doesn't think that black women will come out and go after him when he goes after us. Well, he's dead wrong. Be clear Bill O'Reilly: there will be no lynch party for that black woman. And this black woman assures you that if you come for her, you come for all of us." -- Star Jones Reynolds
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Buckley's Obit
Bill Buckley, the so-called Conservative, but in realty a 'racist' of the highest and purest order - in the mold of Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh, John Wayne and other white supremacists, has gone on to his eternal reward, earlier today. What his reward will be and where he will wind up, is not for me to speculate, but I can assuredly say we are the richer for him moving on and leaving us, finally.
I have to laugh as his admirers work overtime to paint him as a witty, urbane, bright, charming person. I remember him saying, "Negroes should accept their lot without complaint". I also could list hundreds of other racisms that he wrote and uttered with regularity and fluidity, with the silver tongued drollness and the arched eyebrow, which he was famous for.
If he was a Conservative as so many are calling him in their remembrances, then maybe being a Conservative is synonymous with being one of the worst of the pure racists.
Novelist and critic, Gore Vidal, once correctly called him to his face, "a pro-war-crypto-Nazi", to which Buckley could only respond by threatening to beat him to a pulp.
If he is the 'father' of modern conservatism, as others are extolling him, then every negative thing I've always thought of Conservatives, has now been vindicated.
Compare Buckley's legacy with that of Oscar Peterson, the world-class musician and humanitarian, who was born in the same year of 1925, and who passed away just a few weeks ago, at the same age of 82. Oscar brought to this world the ennobling and uplifting beauty and grace of music, while Buckley brought nothing but eloquent, scholarly racist speech and thought.
Compare Buckley's legacy with that of Oscar Peterson, the world-class musician and humanitarian, who was born in the same year of 1925, and who passed away just a few weeks ago, at the same age of 82. Oscar brought to this world the ennobling and uplifting beauty and grace of music, while Buckley brought nothing but eloquent, scholarly racist speech and thought.
He, like Reagan, was so contemptible, that I can't even say R.I.P. - so I won't.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
McCain's Scandal
Regarding the negative article just published by the NYTimes about McCain and his possible affair with a lobbyist, a few short weeks after endorsing him, seems to me to be very suspicious, particularly the timing.
To me , although the LAT is reputed to be a'liberal' paper, I've always thought it was really a right-wing tool of BushCo and a cheerleader for this war. I believe they wanted to take the focus off Obama's momentum, and give a boost to the repugnant candidate. They have been sitting on the story for months, and could have derailed McCain's candidacy in favor of Romney if they ran it earlier.
They accomplished several things by dropping the story now - they have united their base behind McCain, because although many repugs dislike McCain, they hate the Times even more as a supposed 'liberal' tool. They had to do something to 'rally' their base in sympathy with McCain - this was it. Up to now, the right-wing talking heads have been vocally opposed to McCain, but are now tripping over themselves to defend him and attacking the Times for publishing the story without proof. Further, although McCain denies it, he does not seem to be very enraged and his famous temper has not been activated, which says to me he okay'd the story as a strategic move. As further proof that he is not angry about it, he is using the publishing of the story as a point to raise sorely needed funds for his campaign. The Times is playing the 'bad guy' in this, while dutifully facilitating McCain's fundraising for his campaign.
Although ultimately, I believe either of the three candidates are acceptable to the Elites who really run the show, McCain most closely fits the bill to carry forward the domestic and foreign policies of BushCo. Obama is the least acceptable, which is why I believe he won't get the Dems nod, and if he does get it, he won't win in November.
This is a classic example of the fourth estate working hand in hand with the executive branch and their interests, instead of being the independent, unimpeachable voice that it is supposed to be.
The bigger and more important story they should have put on page 1, is McCain's shameful flip-flop by approving the torture bill, eventhough he was tortured himself. This is the story being buried by the sex scandal.
The bigger and more important story they should have put on page 1, is McCain's shameful flip-flop by approving the torture bill, eventhough he was tortured himself. This is the story being buried by the sex scandal.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
R U a 'Macro' or 'Micro' Elite?
I've been thinking about and researching the little-known powers that really run this world. They inhabit the wealthy top one-tenth of one percent of the earth's population. They are the true globalists and are not subject to geographical borders nor political ideologies. Their power and wealth has been concentrated in their families for centuries, some are American but most are Europeans with a few Asians sprinkled in - maybe ten families in all.
New billionaires like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet etc., have to get on their knees and defer to these people. Money alone is not the ticket for entry, it's the power conferred by vast land holdings, corporate ownership, family trusts, ownership of the world's banks and currencies, and ownership of the world's natural resources.
As world owners, they have the final say about who will run their world kingdoms, whether they be American, European, Asian, African or Middle Eastern. From an earthly standpoint, their power is absolute and irrevocable. Their surrogates are removed or installed by assassinations, appointments, elections, coups - or by whatever means necessary. As an example, Sadaam was just a caretaker for their interests, and when his usefulness had been exceeded, he was summarily overthrown and executed.
The political systems that operate in different parts of the globe, are for control of the people who live under them, only. The elites don't care if they are labeled Capitalist, Socialist, Communist, Fascist etc., their fortunes and power are never at risk, regardless of war, peace, prosperity, recession or depression.
They operate only at the highest 'macro' level, all others operate at the lesser 'micro' levels, or below.
We at the micro level in America, are consumed with the politics of electioneering, party partisanship etc., but whomever wins the presidency will serve the elite's interests just as well as if the opposing party had won. This applies to all kings and kingdoms in all other parts of the world.
At the macro level, the world is neatly sectioned off by these elites, they are no wars or squabbles at this level. Everything is dependent on their control and cooperation. They use surrogates for all of their public utterances and to carry out their personal wishes. They are amoral, irreligious and conscienceless, even death is no impediment to their control, since everything is perpetually passed on by prior agreement and arrangement.
Theirs is a totally different world from ours, it's absolutely impossible to know or imagine how different their cares and concerns are, from ours.
Only the sovereign God has more power than they, and only He has absolute veto power over everything they do.
This fact alone, is reason enough for our spirits to be at peace, and maybe even optimistic about our world's future.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
It's The War Stupid!
I can't believe how many people are missing the most obvious factor in everything that is wrong with our country....
How can $250 million per day being thrown down the war sinkhole, not be the major factor in our downward spiral??
It's affecting everything negatively....from the sputtering economy, to causing drastic cutbacks in social services, record foreclosures, record joblessness, record cost of living increases - including unconscionable increased costs of healthcare and gasoline, unprecedented diminution of our standing in the world, record number of tragic suicides among our overburdened and overextended servicemen and women, record number of outsourced jobs, record increase in homelessness, record increase in those without health insurance, dysfunctional underfunded public schools - virtually ever negative can be traced back to this illegal, ungodly, murderous war, and it's drain on our national economic resources and our collective morality.
And who of the surviving presidential candidates, actually voted for this war and is unrepentant of her votes even when given an opportunity to do so during recent political debates on national TV? Hillary Clinton - who waffled, meandered, equivocated etc, but never disavowed her vote and support for the war...I wonder why????
Could it be the vast campaign dollars coming in bucketfuls from the lobbyists and special interests that she is beholden to and corrupted by....??
Could it be the vast propaganda machine in Israel and in America, that supports the Iraq war and it's expansion into Iran and Syria, because it is seen as good for Israel's security....??
Could it be the Military Industrial Complex and other corporate war profiteers, who profit from the numerous no-bid contracts and other treasonous thefts from the public coffers....??
Congressman Dennis Kucinich was the only candidate who wanted to end this monstrosity of a war immediately, and establish a 'Department of Peace' - this is why he is no longer a candidate for president, but the war supporters still are.
May the Peacemakers and the doves be blessed, and, may the hawks and the traitors be damned.
"..The war in Iraq has bankrupted Americans morally and fiscally, and yet the American public continues to shake the hands of aspiring politicians who ignore Iraq, pretending that the blood which soaks the hands of these political aspirants hasn’t stained their own..."
"..the only policy direction worthy of consideration here in the United States concerning Iraq is the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of American forces continues to hold true. And the fact that this option is given short shrift by all capable of making or influencing such a decision guarantees that this bloody war will go on, inconclusively and incomprehensibly, for many more years..."
- Scott Ritter 2/08
"..The war in Iraq has bankrupted Americans morally and fiscally, and yet the American public continues to shake the hands of aspiring politicians who ignore Iraq, pretending that the blood which soaks the hands of these political aspirants hasn’t stained their own..."
"..the only policy direction worthy of consideration here in the United States concerning Iraq is the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of American forces continues to hold true. And the fact that this option is given short shrift by all capable of making or influencing such a decision guarantees that this bloody war will go on, inconclusively and incomprehensibly, for many more years..."
- Scott Ritter 2/08
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Super Bowl Myths
I have been just watching the pre-game activities and waiting for the Super Bowl to begin. Out of nowhere, they announced that former and present NFL greats, would be reciting the Declaration of Independence, as is the tradition before each Super Bowl. I had no idea this was the tradition, but it gave me an opportunity to listen once again to these words of Independence by the Rebels from the British Crown, which was signed starting on July 4, 1776 through Aug. 2, 1776 by the 55 signatories.
Although this has nothing to do with the Super Bowl, I should note some little known facts about the slave-holding colonies in 1776, that are rarely spoken about.
Right after the signing in August, the biggest battle of the Revolutionary War happened, and the British trounced the Rebel Continental army in Long Island, nearly forcing an American surrender. Those loyal to King George III, surged into New York City and remained under British protection for the rest of the war. These Loyalists had no desire to sever their links with Great Britain, along with one-fifth of other Americans who felt the same way. Those who remained loyal to the King, were called Loyalists or Tories, and at the end of the war, 80,000 of them left the colonies to start new lives in other parts of the British Empire.
Among them were about 3,000 black Loyalists - former slaves who had been granted their freedom in exchange for fighting for the British, who fled north to Canada to escape America's oppressive, peculiar institution of slavery.
The scale and range of this exodus points to a myth and a gap in what is popularly believed about the American revolutionary period. We pride ourselves on the freedom and tolerance embedded in our founding principles, but have rarely acknowledged the discrepancies between the nation’s vaunted commitment to these principles, like “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, and the gross abuse of these principles in practice — glaringly above all, during the subjugation of slavery, followed by 100 years of Jim Crow segregation. Compared with the United States, the British Empire was a good bet if you were an enslaved black or a Native American.
Those black slaves who remained in slavery and were unable to escape to enjoy the 'freedom' that these Rebel American patriots were denying them, had to wait another 90 years before their freedom finally was gained at the end of the civil war.
It should be noted that even today, many of the ideals of the Declaration as applied to blacks and other minorities, are still just that - ideals, rather than realities. So interjecting them inappropriately into a sports event like the Super Bowl, as if they were a reality for all citizens, is as hypocritical as the hypocrisy of the founding fathers, most of whom were slaveholders.
Although this has nothing to do with the Super Bowl, I should note some little known facts about the slave-holding colonies in 1776, that are rarely spoken about.
Right after the signing in August, the biggest battle of the Revolutionary War happened, and the British trounced the Rebel Continental army in Long Island, nearly forcing an American surrender. Those loyal to King George III, surged into New York City and remained under British protection for the rest of the war. These Loyalists had no desire to sever their links with Great Britain, along with one-fifth of other Americans who felt the same way. Those who remained loyal to the King, were called Loyalists or Tories, and at the end of the war, 80,000 of them left the colonies to start new lives in other parts of the British Empire.
Among them were about 3,000 black Loyalists - former slaves who had been granted their freedom in exchange for fighting for the British, who fled north to Canada to escape America's oppressive, peculiar institution of slavery.
The scale and range of this exodus points to a myth and a gap in what is popularly believed about the American revolutionary period. We pride ourselves on the freedom and tolerance embedded in our founding principles, but have rarely acknowledged the discrepancies between the nation’s vaunted commitment to these principles, like “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, and the gross abuse of these principles in practice — glaringly above all, during the subjugation of slavery, followed by 100 years of Jim Crow segregation. Compared with the United States, the British Empire was a good bet if you were an enslaved black or a Native American.
Those black slaves who remained in slavery and were unable to escape to enjoy the 'freedom' that these Rebel American patriots were denying them, had to wait another 90 years before their freedom finally was gained at the end of the civil war.
It should be noted that even today, many of the ideals of the Declaration as applied to blacks and other minorities, are still just that - ideals, rather than realities. So interjecting them inappropriately into a sports event like the Super Bowl, as if they were a reality for all citizens, is as hypocritical as the hypocrisy of the founding fathers, most of whom were slaveholders.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Repugnantisms
Unfettered capitalism, is the surest route to unimagined wealth, and the best way to firmly ensconce the elite in a separate world, millenia away from the unwashed masses they have exploited.
This partly explains the stampede to 'privatize' everything in sight, from social security to the armed forces, and particularly those social institutions that were set up for the common good of all. What better way to 'manage' the prospects of the unwashed, and subject their futures to the iconic whims of the elites.
Thus remove all regulators that will ensure accountability and oversight. Dismantle the FCC, FTC, EPA, and all other regulatory agencies that are charged with these responsibilities.
Throw caution to the wind - spend $250 million per day in Iraq - the rapture is nigh - do unto others before they do it unto us, and bomb them to set them free!
Welcome to the Rupugnant wet-dream.
Hurtle in Myrtle
The 'Hurtle in Myrtle", just like the "Rumble in the Jungle" of old, was the bruising primary fight in So. Carolina that Obama just won big, but may have ultimately lost, because he was solidly and effectively tarred and smeared as the 'black' candidate.
Billary (Bill and Hillary), deliberately set out, in the lead-in to the SC primary, to accomplish two things: bring Obama down from the 'Change' pedestal above the mean streets of the fray Obama had set himself on, by goading him until he cracked, as he finally did during the debate in Myrtle Beach.
Thus, Obama became just another politician, not the shining symbol of 'Hope' he started out to be, and he was now fair game.
Then, Bill needed to break Obama's wise tactic of carefully framing himself as a candidate for 'All' the people, not just as an 'African American' candidate. Again, by attacking Obama as viciously as he did, Bill alienated the African Americans who might have voted for the Clinton co-candidacy, resulting in the landslide for Obama.
Canny politician that he is, Bill knew that the landslide aspect of the vote in SC would be seen as a racial vote, and would further polarize the electorate (especially the White and Latino voters in other states), who will now see Obama's victory in SC as purely racial.
Since there are far fewer Black, than White and Latino voters nationwide, Obama's chances of winning the Dems nod, are now diminished even further.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Treat, or Trickle-Down Trick?
So Bush wants to create an economic stimulus to bolster this failing economy? - his ridiculous remedy is to make his 2001 tax cuts to the rich, permanent. That's his 'trickle-down' fantasy that was first proposed by his repugnant predecessor, Reagan, who started us down the 'give-away-to-the-rich' road.
In the interim, he and his repugnant-lite enablers, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, have devised what they say will keep the lid on and boost the economy - rebating taxpayers $600 each, give couples $1,200, plus $300 more for each child.
To say this would stimulate the economy is the height of political fakery and trickery, because they know it will be mostly spent by the recipients, to reduce their huge credit card debt - money paid right back to the usurious bankers who overcharged them in the first place.
If they were really serious about stimulating the economy, there are a lot of sensible measures they could be taken, that would make more sense.
First, I would remove the cap on social security payroll deductions, which currently sits at about $90,000. It makes no sense and is unfair, that someone making $250,000, $500,000, $1,000,000, $2,000,000 etc., has no deductions after earning $90,000.
Secondly, I would rescind the 2001 tax-cut giveaway to the wealthy - they have had an unearned ride at our expense for 7 years, now it's time for it to end!
Secondly, I would rescind the 2001 tax-cut giveaway to the wealthy - they have had an unearned ride at our expense for 7 years, now it's time for it to end!
Thirdly, I would declare a tax amnesty for the year 2008, where no social security, medicare, federal or state taxes will be owed or withheld, from people earning $75,000 or less - all these would be easily covered by removing the social security cap, and rescinding the criminal tax-cuts to the rich.
Fourthly, I would put a moratorium on all home foreclosures, thus giving those at risk, a year to marshal their resources to save their homes and equities.
I am under no illusion that these suggestions would even be considered, much less implemented by those at the top, but the inequities of our system must be addressed, and these are my suggestions to address them.
Farewell Kucinich
I'm real sorry that Dennis Kucinich withdrew from the political mix. He was the only candidate who had the purest program to remove the stench of the repugnant BushCo / Pelosi / Reid / alliance, immediately get us out of Iraq and future preemptive entanglements, repair the social networks, rebuild the environmental infrastructures that have been savaged, and set up a Department of Peace, instead of war.
And that's why he did not have a ghost of a chance of being president - these interests even denied him access to most of the primary debates, so that his voice could not be heard, and his vision could not be shared.
Fascism is basically, the marriage of corporate and state interests, to the detriment of the political and economic interests of the people. This was started under Reagan, furthered somewhat by Clinton, and brought to full fruition by BushCo and his Repugnants.
Neither Clinton nor Obama is fully committed to ending this unholy alliance, in fact they are both funded primarily by these interests. I do believe though, that Obama has the most potential for positive change in the future, if consistently pushed to the left by the progressive wing of the Democratic party.
Edwards has been a political loser, nationally, although he is more progressive than either Clinton or Obama.
We'll see who the Dems make their standard bearer at the convention in August. Let's hope whomever it is, will end this long nightmare of Repugnant misrule, misdeeds, and mismanagement.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Spin of Race and Gender
If you don’t think race and gender still plays a major role in a Presidential election, just watch from now until November. The media is doing their usual number in fueling the fire between Clinton and Obama only because of their gender and race, and the TV viewers are loving it.
The Republicans are salivating at the thoughts of a black man and a woman being the front runners in the Democratic race for the nomination of their party, because they know that neither will win in the national elections.
They know Americans will not vote in sufficient numbers, to elect a woman or a black man when they have a choice of a white man, particularly if he's a war-hero like McCain.
Dennis Kucinich followed by John Edwards, are the most progressive, and are the best hopes for the Democrats to regain the white house - and that's why the media is dead set against giving them any coverage.
If we haven’t had enough of the Repugnants in the last 8 years, and can’t see through what the corporate-controlled media is up to, then maybe we do deserve another disastrous Repugnant win this coming November.
....Don't ever forget that gasoline was only $1.39/gal. when Bush took office in 2001.......
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Was There Election Fraud in N.H.?
The wife of the former president of the US, who also won his New Hampshire primary in the 90s, performs a miraculous 21 point swing and wins the primary, after being seriously behind until the day of the primary. This was in a state where ALL 17 polls got it wrong, and ALL were outside the statistical margin of error - which is highly improbable! Moreover where the ballots were counted by hand, Obama was up by 6 points, but where the machines counted the ballots, Hillary was up by 15 points. Further, only 496,000 people voted, but 510,000 votes were actually tabulated - 14,000 more than were cast.
Would the Clinton machine and the BushCo repugs in New Hampshire, tamper with the election, in order to obtain a desperately needed primary win for Hillary, and derail the Obama express? - You bet your sweet bippy they would! Remember Hillary voted for their illegal war and voted for the Patriot Act, among her other consistent votes for war funding, plus, she is the matron of the Dem centrist/right wing of the DNC, which controls the national party and the local Dem party in New Hampshire. Although they used paper ballots, they were mostly counted by optical-scan machines, and therefore subject to manipulation and other machinations.
As the status quo candidate and part of the DNC centrist/right wing of her party, Hillary is the choice of corporate America which has given her a war-chest of over $100 million, so they have a vested interest in her winning, and Obama losing. The military industrial complex would also love nothing better than to have her and her Repug opponent be supporters of the war - what a great way to ensure eight more years of unlimited military appropriations and spending, regardless of which party wins the presidency.
Few Democratic politicians, especially Clinton, would publicly cite Obama's race as a liability. But in brutal political terms, this unstated vulnerability may now be used to persuade leaders of the party establishment and fundraising network, to stick with Clinton, through what is now sure to be a bruising fight until at least February 5th, and perhaps all the way to the convention in August.
In any case, this loss allows Obama to see more clearly what he's up against. Hopefully, his people can adapt their campaign strategy to the inevitable election tampering that is sure to occur again.
My guess is that this was the opening salvo to secure the nomination for Hillary, and the rejection of the Obama movement. Then Hillary will go up against the Repugnant standard bearer, and probably lose to him, thereby keeping the presidency safe for the Repugs.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Is the 'Surge' Working?
Oh, come on - Iraq is no nearer to any internal political coherence than it has ever been since we destroyed the previous regime. We sent in 30,000 troops after the majority of the ethnic cleansing had been accomplished by the competing factions in Iraq. If we had sent 50,000 troops, there would have been even less violence. The fact that we have found a formula for occupying Iraq with lesser risk to our troops instead of extreme risk, doesn't mean that the surge has worked. It sure isn't working to make a viable nation of Iraq. And, it doesn't change the indisputable fact that we have no right to BE in Iraq, that invading it was a colossal mistake and a violation of international law. So saying the surge is 'working' and celebrating that, is like saying that robbing a bank 'worked' because you killed all the tellers and got away with the cash. That doesn't make it something that worked, and it doesn't give you anything to celebrate - you're still guilty and a failure. In fact, 2007 was the bloodiest year since the invasion 5 years ago, and there is now new violence in the north between the Turks and the Kurds.
This is not what I call a strategy that 'worked.' Our military is the weakest it has ever been at any time in any living person's lifetime. Our resources are draining from our economy at an alarming pace. And our stature in the world is approaching 'pariah' level. The purpose of the surge was to provide space for political progress, but no political progress has taken place, hence the surge has failed. But an even larger failure looms ahead, because one thing the surge did accomplish, is the arming of the Sunni factions in preparation for it's eventual showdown with the Shiites.
The BushCo's concerted propaganda war to convince the American people that the 'surge' has worked, is not working. You can clear all the hookers out of Times Square, and put cops on every corner, but how long will it be before they come back? The surge is working - how? Is the Iraqi government now representative, bi-partisan and democratic? Do the people now have hospitals, electricity, sewage, schools, security, heat, jobs, rebuilt homes? Do the Iraqis and the rest of the people in the Middle East now acknowledge that the US is a great friend? Is Basra is a success story? What about the 4 million refugees that has had to flee to other countries?
Last month, we were down to 23 deaths in Iraq, so is that what we call doing a good job? How many soldiers are going to need arms, legs, and minds worked on, for how many years to come - has anyone counted them? How many Iraqis are still dying, how many of their children will be too old to go to their grade schools again, and what about food, water, electricity, sewers, homes? What about the money we have spent on this war? - and lets add the amount that has been pocketed by Bush and his friends? - how about the price of gas we are now paying, and what about our own children that we can't now afford to give heath care too?
Until there is political, economic and social progress, and the troops leave, Iraq will be judged a failure that no 'surge' can fix, and it will remain a ball and chain around America's neck and a stain on our reputation forever.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Truth or Consequences?
"If you know the truth and don't speak out, then your voice becomes heard with the lie. Silence is a lie when you know the truth. If you know the truth but say I'm not going to get involved, I'm going to remain neutral, then you are siding with a lie. There is no neutrality when you know the truth."
There are so many instances where the truth is known but routinely hidden.
Prosecutors withhold exculpatory evidence from the defense; police observe the 'blue code' of silence to shield each other from censure, dismissal or prosecution; witnesses refuse to testify out of fear of reprisals from perpetrators.
And as yet, we have not found out what really happened on 9-11, and who were the conspirators.
And then we have Bill Bennett knowingly spouting his false 'truth', - "I do know....if you aborted every black baby, the crime rate would go down."
Also athletes who feel pressured to take performance enhancing drugs, just to compete with those who are already doing so, but successfully hiding it.
The lie by BushCo about WMD's in Iraq and the need to go to war, and the shameful complicity of Colin Powell and others, in rubber-stamping this lie.
The media routinely censures 'inconvenient truths' in order to lie from silence.
For years, baseball's management ignored rampant steroid use, to benefit from enhanced athletic performances, resulting in increased media ratings and much higher profits.
Rape is one of the world's most prevalent but underreported violent crimes.
Racist whites, routinely lie and say they are not racists.
What is clear, is that there is much more lying, than truth-telling going on, and few would argue with this.
"Evil flourishes when good men do nothing to reveal and further the truth"
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